Recently I was asked “…what is your preference on dumbbells compared to barbells? Does the increased amount of weight you can move on say, an incline barbell press offset the extra work by the stabilizing muscles if you were use dumbbells? Should dumbbells and barbells be alternated?”

And this is a great question worthy of a thoughtful response!

I’ll preface my comments by sharing one of the most common ways questions to me are structured:

“If you had only one ________, what would you do?”

And my response to these types of questions always begins my pointing out that thankfully, we typically aren’t limited to only one option. And so yes, MOST trainees should use both dumbbell and barbell movements, because both variants have their own unique “benefit-to-drawback” profiles.

So what’s best for you?

Lots of factors need consideration as you attempt to answer that question, but here are two that should be at the front of the list:

Specificity. If you’re an Olympic weightlifter or a powerlifter, then your should use barbells most of the time. Your competitive events demand it. If, on the other hand, you play baseball, tennis, hockey, soccer, or if you’re involved in disciplines like martial arts, climbing, BMX, or general fitness, then dumbbell drills should assume a larger role in your training.

Availability: Dumbbells typically cost MUCH more than barbells and plates. So if (for example) you train at home and finances are limited, you’re probably going to use barbells exclusively or almost exclusively.

Need for maximal strength: If success in your athletic discipline requires the ability to overcome large loads (powerlifting, Olympic lifting, football, throws, etc), barbells will be a primary tool. That’s because the instability of dumbbells will limit how much load you can lift.

“One of the signs of a great teacher is the ability to make the subject matter seem simple. Charles Staley is one of these rare teachers. After listening and talking to him, you suddenly achieve a new awareness of training. You go to the gym and, suddenly, everything makes sense, and you wonder why you haven’t been doing it his way since day one.” – Muscle Media 2000 magazine August, 1999

Prominent both the United States and across the globe, Charles is recognized as an insightful coach and innovator in the field of human performance. His knowledge, skills and reputation have lead to appearances on NBC's The TODAY Show and The CBS Early Show, along with numerous radio appearances.

He has authored more than a thousand articles for leading fitness publications and websites, and has lectured to eager audiences around the World.

Charles is not only a thinker, but also a doer: At age 54, he competes in the sport of raw powerlifting, and is a 2-time World Champion (220 and 198-pound weight classes). Find Charles online at www.TargetFocusFitness.com.

Charles, great article! I have a question about using dumbbells in a case where we might experience an imbalance – where one side is slightly weaker than the other. Would it make sense to use dumbbells to adjust the weight and/or intensity to work the weak side harder to “catch up” and get closer to balance?

If it’s a significant strength discrepancy, yes, DB’s should play a greater role. However, keep in mind the other needs I pointed out above- if you[re a maximal strength athlete, and/or if you’re a competitive lifter, you’ll still use plenty of barbell drills.

Also keep in mind that most of use will have slight bilateral imbalances- so much so that I’d call it “normal.”

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